"I was bullied so much for having hairy arms at school."

The first time I shaved my arms I was 12. As someone with naturally dark hair and pale Irish skin, it made sense my arms would be white and hairy, but after months of bullying I decided to do something about it. Today, 15 years later, I still shave them every single day. And I’m not the only one.

Jameela Jamil has kickstarted a conversation about women’s arm hair on Twitter after posting a photo where hers is clearly visible. The 32-year-old said the hair on her arms has always been “photoshopped out”, but in a campaign image for clothing brand Aerie, this was not the case.

“Hello arm hairs,” she tweeted. “Nice to see you again. Because you’re a normal and fine thing to have.”

Many women said it had never even occurred to them that the hair was missing in magazines – because they’d become so accustomed to thinking being hairy was wrong. Others said they’d always wanted to remove their arm hair because of cruel comments. I know how they feel.

The replies to Jamil’s tweet show how many women feel the same.

I love this! I remember going through a phase of being really self conscious about my arm hair because I never saw anyone else with it in magazines etc so it’s amazing that now some young girls will grow up seeing normal things like this on female bodies!

I was bullied so much for having hairy arms in middle school, I started shaving them. Then got made fun of for shaving them. Now I don’t shave them and think they aren’t anymore hairy than anyone else’s. Will never go back.

Thank you jameela!! I was hand wrestling a guy in middle school and everyone made fun of me because they “couldn’t tell” which arm was mine vs his because of the hair. I weirdly liked my arm hair until then. Anyway, things like this are important!!

One of the critical comments that has stayed with me for almost 25 years...someone asking why I don’t shave my arms because they’re apparently hairier than normal. TWENTY. FIVE. YEARS. One comment. They stick.

When I was in 7th grade a pudgy short boy who was "popular" told me I would be prettier if I shaved my arms. AND I LISTENED? And I haven't forgotten that shame in almost twenty years. Our daughters should never feel this way about their bodies. Thank you Jameela <3

I remember seeing an Argentinian Avon catalog as a kid, and being astounded at all their hair. I'd been shaving my arm hair because all the girls in school were. Even with my delicate blond hairs, I still felt I had to. But not after seeing the Argentinian women!

I can’t say this enough, I wish you’d been arouns doing this while I was a kid miserable about my body hair, weight and pretty much everything about the way I looked that didn’t fit in with the traditional concept of “pretty”.